Dr Tuffen is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer at Lancaster Environment Centre, specialising in volcanic processes. His research addresses magma deformation, degassing and crystallisation, using tools such as fieldwork, experimentation, numerical modeling and thermal analysis.
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Watching an obsidian lava flow: a glacier of hot volcanic glass
Small eruptions of runny red basalt lava happen almost daily on Earth, at famous volcanoes such as Etna in Sicily and Kilauea on Hawai’i. We are all familiar with images of rivers of molten lava flowing down volcano flanks, both from news reports and the movies. Scientists have a good understanding of basalt lava flows as there have been ample opportunities to observe how they advance.